I didn’t eat for 3 days last week.
Well almost.
I didn’t eat for 65 hours before having a massive lunch with my friends and family on Easter Sunday.
And let me tell you.. it’s not a big deal.
I didn’t die. And I didn’t call my mommy crying because my belly hurt.
The only reason I’m sharing this with you is because I was reminded, yet again, how damn POWERFUL fasting is. And I feel obligated to share this with you.
Fasting is a true reset. A true game-changer.
Going through regular periods of not eating will do more for your health AND your looks than all the pills, powders, potions and detox-cleanses (lol) money can buy.
That’s a guarantee.
The Great Reset
Fasting will get rid of those nasty love handles you’ve been battling seemingly forever. It will reset the hunger signals in your brain so you’re not constantly craving the foods that only make you fatter and sicker.
It will teach you discipline and self-control like nothing else. And perhaps most importantly, it will set your sights on the things that truly matter in life.
Fasting is the strongest anti-depressant in the world.
After enduring extended periods of not eating, you won’t have the energy nor the desire to worry about trivial issues. Your eyes will be opened to the fact that as long as you have clothes on your back, a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head, life’s not so bad.
You are privileged. You are blessed. A fact that can be forgotten all too often in our comparison society.
But make no mistake.. it is HARD. Nothing about fasting is fun.
In fact, for large parts of the 65 hours, I felt like utter trash (with the odd flash of ecstasy). However, the rewards on the other side more than justify the discomfort.
The best meal you’ve ever had is waiting for you at the end of a 48+ hour fast.
I know I know… You train hard and you want to build muscle, get stronger and perform at a high level, yet, here I am telling you to starve yourself?
Uhm.. yeah.
You see, those things are not mutually exclusive. From experience, I tell you the body is primed to build muscle coming out of a fast and/or controlled periods of undereating. Fasting primes the system to burn fat and BUILD MUSCLE once calories are flooding in again.
You’ll also notice a nice bump in performance – mental and physical – once you resume eating (make sure to eat enough).
Fasting is the ultimate metabolic activator.
And I’ll be the first to tell you.. you’re giving away precious life quality if you never experience it.
Building Muscle with SUPER FASTING
In the Old Testament, the prophet Daniel fasted for 21 days to humble himself before God.
Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before he began his ministry.
Throughout human history, fasting was used for its potent health, mental and spiritual effects. But you can absolutely take this the wrong way and fast yourself to a weak, frail and powerless body. That’s not what I’m talking about here.
I’m talking about using this tool strategically to optimize metabolic function, build more muscle and burn more fat.
I’m talking about SUPER FASTING.
Not the kind they do on vegan retreats, where they drink green juices all day and shoot fluids up their butts to ‘cleanse and detoxify’.. and end up losing more muscle than fat.
Nah. We’re not playing that game. This is a performance regimen. And high performance requires large amounts of high octane fuel..
CALORIES!
I still eat more than your diabetic uncle Tommy on any given day. Protein, fat, carbs, peanut butter cups.. nothing is off-limits.
BUT..
I always cycle in days of low-to-no calories. And this is the key difference – my unfair advantage.
Cycling calories keeps insulin sensitivity primed and high insulin sensitivity is paramount for keeping the body’s muscle-building machinery operating at peak capacity.
You have to deplete yourself first before pumping more fuel into the system.
Fast, eat BIG, fast, eat BIG.
When you fast, I strongly recommend drinking sufficient “saltwater”. Add half a teaspoon of sea salt to every liter of water you drink and make sure to get in at least 2-3 liters a day. This is critical.
Earlier I told you how I felt like trash for large parts of my 65h fast. That was because I didn’t drink enough.
At this point, I have so many extended fasts under my belt, I know exactly what to do to maximize results while minimizing the unpleasant effects (doesn’t mean I do it, though).
Staying hydrated will make the fast infinitely easier on your body and will allow you to still train hard.
That’s right. I still train when fasting. In fact, fasting should never deter you from getting after it in the gym (unless you’re going beyond the 72-hour mark).
Right before breaking the fast last week, I had a buddy ask if we could get in a workout together. While my enthusiasm was limited, I will never say “no” to training.
And what do you know? The session was fantastic. I didn’t experience any loss in strength. The only thing I noticed was light-headedness (drinking more saltwater would’ve remedied that). I had to take longer rest periods between sets, but when it was time to deliver I felt as strong as ever.
Remember this was after 3 days of not eating. So yeah, you still can and should train, get in your steps and move your body during your fasts. Just make sure to be hydrated and keep your volume in the gym limited.
How should you incorporate SUPER FASTING into your regimen?
Depends on your starting position and a host of other factors. But just to give you an idea, here’s how my clients do it inside my 4-phase M.E.A.N. program:
They throw in ONE 48-hour fast every 1-3 weeks (depending on where they are on their journey). That’s it.
Occasionally, you can go as long as 72-hours, but I don’t recommend anything beyond that for most individuals. And personally, I never exceed 3 days without food.
With that said, my clients still train hard every day (5-6 days a week, realistically). They still eat an optimized diet. They still lead a high-performance lifestyle.
So yeah.. it’s not a biggie. You won’t die. You’ll only end up a leaner, tougher, BETTER version of yourself.
Are you ready to unleash your ultimate self?
How about finally losing the stubborn fat around your midsection, having more ENERGY than you know what to do with, and just feeling UNSTOPPABLE every day?
We can get you there, no problem.
And what’s better.. we can get you there without dieting, supplements or going to the gym. You heard me.
Enter the M.E.A.N. Transformation Program.
The time is now.
V
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